Centrifugal casting machine



2,011,955II` i Aug. 20, 1935. E. G. TouCEDA CENTRIFUGAL CSTING MACHINEFiled April 4, 1954v I C I r w Iliff?" A IN EN R M5 W 7-, ATTcNEY vinthe casting of prosthetic articles, suchas den-f Altman;

. This invention relates to/{metalfounding} liarticularly to casting,and more especiallyto centrifugal casting.

A principal object of this invention-is. the ductionl of a method 'andmeans wherebymore", .with an orifice G--through which astop rod 'I 5perfect results may be' more conveniently obtained selected toillustrate the invention progresses, and

- the novel features will be particularly pointedlvout 'In describingthe invention in detail and the particularphysical embodiment selectedto illustrate the invention; vreference willbe had to the accompanyingdrawing, and the several views thereon, in which likecharacters ofreference Ydesignate like parts throughout the several views,

' g Figurel is anfelevational view, with some parts fin section'andsomeparts broken away to more v clearly showzhe'construction, of a deviceembodying 'applicantsinvention usable for practicing his method; Figi. 2is a sectional view on the plan'e r :indicatedby the line II--II of Fig.1 viewed in ll the 'directions of the arrows at theends of the line;Fig. 3 isA ay sectional view on the plane indicated fis a perspectiveview of 'a formed material used. in applicantsinvention; Fig. 6 is aperspective view of another form ofmaterial used in appli- 35.,

by the line III- III of Fig. l; Fig. 4.is anenlarged cross-'sectionalview corresponding to a portion of the'cross-sectional view shown inFig.- 1; Fig. 5

cants method; Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a detrated'gezierally by R.After the metal has been received inthe receptacle R, itis thrown bycenvtrifugal force into a mold, illustrated generally l'by M. Thislcentrifugal action is obtained by mountingthe receptacle R. and themold M upon an arm designated generally by BA mounted revolvably upon avertically positioned axis.

In the practice of applicants method, it is necessary to whirl a member.In Figure 1, applicant has shown a suitable form of apparatus forproducing the whirling motion. The device, in

the selected form includes a hollow pedestal like member I vprovidedwith a broad iiat base and withspaced oriced ears 2 in which bolts, as l2.011.955 caNmIr'UGAI'. 'cas'rmc moms Enrique Garanten, Albany, N. Y.,assigner to Consolidated., (lar-Heating Company, l Inc., l T Y., acorporation of New York Applicator-apra `4, 1934, sensi Na '118,902

j aclaihisa (cl. :tz-65.1).

may be placed to fasten the pedestal to a suitable support. u lI'he'pedestal I is preferablyprovided with a when free..

tail; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view on the plane' OFFICE.

horizontalpartition 4 formed with a well 5 and `is slidableiverticallywhen manipulated bythe handle: 8 upwardly or by gravity downwardly,

yThe'v' .fell 5 serves as a bearing for a vertically positioned shaft 9.This shaft 9 is preferably 10 rovidedwithmeans for preventing itslongitu- Vdinal movement as by a groove I Il into which the end of -aset screw I I may be positioned. The set screw II being screwed into thewall of the well 5 lallows the shaft 9 to rotate but prevents longil5'tudinal movement.

In order to get the whirling motion necessary,

applicant provides a helical spring I2 coiled about the shaft 9 andhaving one end I3 attached to the pedestal I, asby screw I4, and theother end I5 20 attached to the shaft 9, by inserting the same in anorifice as I6 This construction is such that when the shaft 9 is rotatedin the direction of the arrow I1, that is, clockwise, the spring I2 willbe wound up, so vthat if the shaft 9 is then free, it will 25 be rotatedin a direction contrary to the arrow II.

As the body to be whirled by the rotation of the shaft 9 is of someconsiderable size, and as it is not desired to have the spring I2unwound by the rotation oi' shaft 9 in a direction contrary 3.0 to thearrow I1, it is necessary to provide the body to be whirled and theshaft 9 with cooperating means, which will allow relative movementtherebetween so 'that after the wound spring has become completelyunwound in'whirling the body, 35

fthe-body may then continue to whirl free from spring I2 and the shaft9. Applicants construction whereby the `desired result is obtainedincludes a shaft I8 positioned with its axis in line with the axis ofshaft 9. The shaft I8 is provided 40 lwith a reduced bearing portion I9seated in an asm bearing ermee in the shaft s. The shafts s and I8 areeach provided with mutually-engaging projections, as 20 and 2| on shaft9, and 22 and After the spring has becne completely unwound, 50

shaft I'Blcontinues to rotate in the same direction, Ithat is, in avcounterclockwis'e direction, due to the -momentum of the parts, butthelmembers 22 y and 23 dueto the springs, as 2l, back of them arepushed upwardly, aided bythe sloping faces s o that the members 22 and23 move by the members 20 and 2l until the momentum of the bodies con-ynected to the shaft is dissipated.

In practice, the spring I8 is wound up by turning arm BA in a clockwisedirection. This causes pins 20, 2I, 22 and 23 to engage and move shaftIlv and so spring I2. When the spring has been sufficiently wound rod 1is projected upwardly sufficiently to contact with the side of arm BA.'I'he contact exerted by the arm BA against rod 1 is sufficient to keepthe rod 1from falling. When it is desired to allow arm BA to whirl, itis simply moved so as to be out of contact with rod 1 whereupon rod 1drops and then the arm BA is free.

In order to cover the inner mechanism of the pedestal I and to provide asteadying bearing for shaft I8, applicant provides the cover member 25which is screwed to the lower portion of the pedestal I as by screws 26and has a bearing 21 in its upper portion for receiving the shaft I8 andsteadying the same.

Applicant prefers to make the arm BA of rectangular cross-section, andto hold it in a slot 28 formed in the end of the shaft I8. The arm BA isheld in the slot 28 both by the nut 29 screw threaded upon the end ofthe shaft I8 and by the set screw 30 screwed into and through one of thebifurcated portions.

One end of the arm BA supportsan adjustable balancing weight 3| slidablealong the arm BA and secured in an adjusted position by any suitable orappropriate means, as by the threaded screw 32, which is threaded intothe mass 3| and bears against the arm BA.

The mold forthe` prosthetic, denture or similar articleis mounted uponthe arm BA. In the preferred form, a support 33 is provided. Thissupport is preferably formed integral with the em-` bracing member 34which surrounds the arm BA, is slidable therealong, and is held inadjustable position by the wing screw 35. This flask or mold abuttingmember 33 is provided with a-ilange 36 which serves to receive andposition the end of the mold M.

The other end of the mold M is supported and clamped by the mold endplate 31 provided with a flange 38 for receiving and positioning theendA of the mold M. The end plate 31 cooperates with a threaded screw,39passing through the end plate bracket 40 which is provided withanembracing portion 4I which surrounds and embraces the arm BA, andwhich is s'lidable therealong, and which is heldin adjusted position bythe thumb screw 42.

After member 34 is fastened in position by thumb screw 35, the mold M isplaced `in position with one end against plate 33, and then the endplate 31 is brought against the other end of. the

mold by moving member 4I along the arm BA.4

'I'he thumb screw 42 is then tightened, andthen thumb screw 39 istightened sumciently to securely hold the mold M between the flanges 36and 38 and the plates 33 and 31.'

In order to provide the molten metal to fill the cavity 43A of the mold'M, applicant provides a crucible C. This crucible maybe made of anysuitable or appropriate material of a refractory with a channel 45opening into a receptacle R. The channel 45 is preferably formed of analundum tube. At any rate, both the channel 45 and the receptacle Rshould be such that they may withstand the heat of the molten alloy andhave no substance therein which may be taken up by the molten alloy toits detriment.

The receptacle R is preferably somewhat contracted, as at 46, and is inalignment with the pouring orice 41 of the flask or mold M.

When molten metal is present in the receptacle R, a rotation of arm BAabout the axis of shaft I8 will cause this molten metal, as 48, to flowfrom the left hand end of the receptacle-R as viewed in Figs. l and 4and flow into the mold and cavity therein producing the cast formdesired, corresponding to the cavity 43.

In order to support the crucible C and the receptacle R, applicantprovides a receptacle support 49 formed with a ange 50 by which thereceptacle container 49 may -be attached, as by bolts I, to the plate33. The receptacle container 49 also supports the crucible container 52which is provided with flange 53 which may be bolted, as by bolts 54, tothe receptacle container 49.

The receptacle container 49 and the crucible container 52 are-both made,preferably, of metal such as iron, but are made sufliciently large sothat a considerable body of heat insulating material 55, such asasbestos, may be positioned between the receptacle R and the walls ofthe receptacle container 49, and between the crucible C an'd .the wallsof the crucible container 52.

In order to provide means for easily inspecting and cleaning thereceptacle R, applicant pro.

vides an end closing plate 56, made preferably of alundum, held in placeby a threaded end plug 51, threaded into the end of the receptaclecontainer 49.

In order to produce a body of molten metal 48 in the receptacle R,applicant places the requisite quantity of metal .oxides mixed with theproper amount of powdered aluminium together with a suiciently largestrip of magnesium ribbon with its end projecting from the mixture togive the requisite quantity of molten alloy. In

oxides to take place so that molten metal is produced in lthe cruciblewhich when sinking to the bottom causes .the reaction to take place inthe plug 58 so that it is destroyed and the molten metal flows into thereceptacle R. Any slag which is formed will naturally float upon the topof the molten metal and would be displaced by the molten metal whenywhirled Vso that theA molten metal being the heavier would ilow intothe mold.

The mixture which applicant uses for producing.

his molten alloy corresponds in general to the well known thermitemixture commonly used'to produce molten metal in situ by the action ofpowdered aluminium upon appropriate metal oxides. v

Applicant prefers to provide the mixture in the form of pellets, as 59,as shown by'Fig. 5, or as small cylinders, as shown in Fig. 6, each of adenite known weight, and compounded to give a definite weight of' moltenmetal, andto ignite these pellets or cylinders when charged into thecrucible either by a short length of magnesium wire or by Oxy-hydrogenflame directed upon the pellets or cylinders.

' A complete practice of applicants method by the use of the machinesshown in the figures would consist in first making a cavity, as Il, in asuitable mold; then positioning that mold as shown in Fig. 1;" thencharging the crucible C with the necessary amount of thermite mixture;

then balancing by means of the weight II so that the arm BA issubstantially level; then the spring I2 would be wound by turning thearm BAina clockwise vdirection and held in wound'position by moving therod 1 upwardly so as to contact arm BA; then the heat would be appliedto the thermite mixture so as to start the reaction', pref'- erably bypreliminarily igniting a piece of magnesium ribbon buried in themixture; then when the mixture has sufficiently reacted to destroy theplug 58 and the molten metal Il has flowed into the receptacle R, therod 1 would be depressed by pressing down on the handle 8 whereupon thearm BA would be whirled about by the rotation of shaft 9; and then whenthe spring I2 had become entirely unwoundthe arm BA with shaft I8 wouldcontinue to rotate. independently of the shaft 9 until the momentumpreviously generatedhas been dissipated; thenwhen'the contents of themold have become suiiiciently cold it wouldberemoved from its positionand the cast article secured therefrom.

Of course, it is to be understood that if applicant doesnot desire tocentrifugally cast, then the metal may be allowed to ilow by gravityinto the mold from the receptacle. t

Although I have particularly described one paricular physical embodimentof my invention andexplained the operation, construction and principle,thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the formselected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possiblephysical' embodiments of the idea of means underlying my.

invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by f utters Patent of theUnited stmt. is:

Y nation: a rotatable member; means for rotating 4 50 tioned on ythemember; a receptacle on the meml. In a centrifugal casting machine. incombithe member; a mold provided' with an inlet posiber formed with areceiving inlet and with an outlet communicating with the inlet of themold; a crucible formed of inert material on the meni-v ber and havingan outlet communicating with the receiving inlet of the receptacle; saidelements constituting a self-contained. organization whereby a plugcomposed of a thermite mix- -receptacle provided with an inlet and withan outlet communicating with the inlet of the mold; and a cruciblehaving a bottom outlet communciating with the inlet of the receptacle,and

stituting a self-contained organization `whereby a plug composed of athermite mixture may be placed in the said outlet of thecrucible and Aa.thermite mixture may be reacted in the'crucible causing a reaction inthe plug and a ow of' metal into the receptacle and thence into the`mold, thus eiecting the complete casting operation by an exclusivelyexothermic' reaction, gravity and centrifugal force.

- 3. The method of casting articles of the class described.- incentrifugal apparatus including a a mold-disposed laterally withrelation to said receptacle, said receptacle having anoVerhead open portto receive the contents of said crucible and. a lateral portcommunicating with said mold-said method comprising the step of chargingsaidcrucible with a fusible thermite mixture and maintaining saidmixturein said crucible by' a fusible closure of thermite reagentsinsaidportleadingtosaid receptacle, thestep of initiating a thermitereaction to fuse' the mixture and closure whereby the fused mixture andclosure descend' by gravity from ,said crucible through said-'port intosaid receptaclepand the step of applying centrifugal force to saidreceptacle, 'whereby it discharges said fused charge the closurematerial into said mold through said lateral aperture.

ENRIQUE G. TOUCEDA.

- receptacle, a crucible superimposed thereon and means to applycentrifugal force to said com- 'bined elements; said assembly of'elements con-

